VIDEO: Troy City Council passes budget which includes police commissioner

By Andrew Beam

Friday, November 30, 2012

TROY -- The City Council passed two measures Thursday night during a pair of special meetings. While both the proposed healthcare benefits package for retirees and the city's proposed $65.9 million budget passed, both measures weren't approved without some conflict.

The city's 2013 budget passed in a 7-2 vote, with Councilmembers Dean Bodnar and Mark McGrath voting against the measure because it had been amended that evening to include a new line item for the creation of a full-time police commissioner with an annual salary of $30,000. The budget is also expected to raise taxes by 1.7 percent, increase building and alterations permit revenue from $375,000 to $800,000 and projects the city will take in $15.25 million in sales tax revenue from the county.

Police Chief John Tedesco was present for the vote and was none too happy with the result, claiming it was merely retaliation from the Democratic majority, even questioning if the City could find someone highly qualified to take a full-time position at the given salary.

"I'm certainly not going to support the position," Tedesco said, adding he will still do what's best for the citizens of the City. "This Democratic majority is not going to use the police department for re-election."

Mayor Lou Rosamilia informed Tedesco at 6 p.m. on Thursday that if the council put the line item in the budget for the position, he would support it. Rosamilia said that he was originally supposed to meet with Tedesco at 3:30 p.m., but was forced to cancel due to a scheduling conflict.

This was not a decision that was made quickly, Rosamilia explained, and said this was something he had considered back during the transition phase after he was elected. His main goal: to make sure the city is safer in 2013 than it was in 2012.

"We want to find someone who is highly qualified with public safety experience and knowledge of the City of Troy," Rosamilia said, adding they would also have to be willing to accept the salary. "I want to bolster our public safety efforts and I think a commissioner can provide value and guidance."

Rosamilia said he is entering the interview process with no preconceived notions as to what person he wants for the position.

Prior to the unanimous passage of the proposed healthcare benefits package for the city's retirees, Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, requested that the hold harmless and sunset clauses included with the new package be read on record, since he did not believe they were written in the contract. The hold harmless clause would force the city to reimburse retirees if some benefits don't match the current plan, while the sunset clause reverts the retirees' benefits back to the current plan once the new one expires. City officials said the new package will save the city approximately $840,000.

McGrath, R-District 2, said this potentially creates a hole in the budget, as he said the hold harmless clause in the healthcare benefits package reduces the amount of savings the city has projected. Earlier in the evening, he proposed taking the salary meant for the police commissioner and placing it in a contingency fund for healthcare reimbursements.

"It's insulting that people with absolutely no background in police work are making the decision to overthrow the police chief over a personal vendetta," McGrath said. "This council is foolhardy and is going down the same path it went down years ago when it became broke."

Bodnar, R-District 3, also had some fairly harsh criticism for the council, claiming it is a payoff to the City's Police Benevolent Association. He even claimed the City will be seen as a "laughing stock" after creating the position.

"I really think it's a sad day for taxpayers in the City of Troy to have an administration and a council majority that are both going to be responsible for this," Bodnar said. "Whether they like it or not, this is going to be their legacy."

Tedesco said he saw the move as a shot at his more than 36 years of experience as a police officer, and while Rosamilia said he is "very qualified," Tedesco said he never heard from Rosamilia or anyone on the council he was doing a bad job.

Councilwoman Nina Nichols, whom Tedesco has singled out as spearheading the creation of the position, said after comments made in public safety committee meetings and comments from the public over the last few months, the department needed some changes.

"We can obviously do better in public safety," Nichols said. "We have unresolved homicides and arsons and we still don't have a contract with the police."

She also said there is not enough grant money within the department, claiming that while it might not be Tedesco's responsibility to obtain that money, he is the person overseeing the department. She said it would be good to have a second person giving his or her perspective on how the department should run.

But when asked whether this could be a criticism of Tedesco's performance as a police chief, she paused for a few moments.